Almustafa, the chosen and the beloved, whowas a dawn unto his own day, had waited twelve years in the city of Orphalesefor his ship that was to return and bear him back to the isle of his birth.

被选和被爱的艾勒·穆斯塔法，当代的曙光，已在奥法利斯城等候了十二年，期待着他的航船前来迎他返回自己出生的岛屿。

And in the twelfth year, on the seventh dayof Ielool, the month of reaping, he climbed the hill without the city walls andlooked seaward; and he beheld the ship coming with the mist.

时值第十二载，“颐露”月的第七日，他登上没有城墙阻隔的山岗，眺望大海；他看到他的航船正从雾霭中驶来。

Then the gates of his heart were flungopen, and his joy flew far over the sea. And he closed his eyes and prayed inthe silences of his soul.

他的心胸豁然开朗，他的喜悦越过海面，流溢远方。他轻闭双眸，在灵魂的静默中祈祷。

But he descended the hill, a sadness cameupon him, and he thought in his heart: How shall I go in peace and withoutsorrow? Nay, not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city.

当他步下山岗时，却有一阵悲哀袭来。他心中默想：我怎能毫无愁绪、平静地告别？不，我无法离开这座城市而不负任何精神创伤。

Long were the days of pain I have spentwithin its walls, and long were the nights of aloneness; and who can departfrom his pain and his aloneness without regret?

在这城垣中，我度过了多少漫长的痛苦日子，又经历了多少漫长的孤寂夜晚；谁能够毫无眷恋地离开他的痛苦和孤寂？

Too many fragments of the spirit have Iscattered in these streets, and too many are the children of my longing thatwalk naked among these hills, and I cannot withdraw from them without a burdenand an ache.

我曾将那么多心灵碎片撒落于这大街小巷，我曾有那么多希望之子赤裸地穿行于这丘陵山岗，我不能没有负荷、没有痛苦地弃之而去。

It is not a garment I cast off this day,but a skin that I tear with my own hands. Nor is it a thought I leave behindme, but a heart made sweet with hunger and with thirst.

今天，我不是脱去一件罩衣，而是用自己的手撕裂一层肌肤。我留在身后的不是一种思绪。而是一颗因饥渴而甜蜜的心。

Yet I cannot tarry longer. The sea thatcalls all things unto her calls me, and I must embark. For to stay, though thehours burn in the night, is to freeze and crystallize and be bound in a mould.

但我却无法再滞留。那召唤一切的大海在召唤我，我必须登舟了。因为尽管时光在夜晚燃烧，但留下却意味着冻结，被禁烟于铸模。

Fain would I take with me all that is here.But how shall I?

多么希望将这里的一切带到身边，但我怎么能够？

A voice cannot carry the tongue and thelips that give it wings. Alone must it seek the ether.

声音无法带走赋予它翅翼的唇舌，它只能独自寻找天空。

And alone and without his nest shall theeagle fly across the sun.

苍鹰不携巢禾，才能独自飞越太阳。

Now when he reached the foot of the hill,he turned again towards the sea, and he saw his ship approaching the harbour,and upon her prow the mariners, the men of his own land.

他行至山脚，再次面向大海，看到他的航船已驶近港湾，船头是来自故乡的水手。

And his soul cried out to them, and hesaid:

于是他的灵魂向他们发出呼唤，说道：

Sons of my ancient mother, you riders ofthe tides,

我古老母亲的子孙，你们这弄潮的健儿，

How often have you sailed in my dreams. Andnow you come in my awakening, which is my deeper dream.

多少次你们沉浮于我的梦境。如今你们驶入我的清醒，也就是我更深的梦境。

Ready am I to go, and my eagerness withsails full set awaits the wind.

我已整装待发，我的希望与扬起的帆一起等待着风起。

Only another breath will I breathe in thisstill air, only another loving look cast backward,

只想再呼吸一口这宁静的气息，再回首投下深情的一瞥。

Then I shall stand among you, a seafareramong seafarers.

然后我就会加入到你们的中间，宛如水手在水手中间。

And you, vast sea, sleepless mother, Whoalone are peace and freedom to the river and the stream,

而你，浩渺的大海，不眠的母亲，江河溪流唯一的安宁与自由，

Only another winding will this stream make,only another murmur in this glade, And then shall I come to you, a boundlessdrop to a boundless ocean.

等这溪流再绕过一道弯，林中空地再传来一阵温偏低语，我就会投入你的慈怀，犹如无穷之水滴融入无穷之大海。

And as he walked he saw from afar men andwomen leaving their fields and their vineyards and hastening towards the citygates.

行走间，他远远地看到男人们和妇女们离开了农田与果园，纷纷涌向城门。

And he heard their voices calling his name,and shouting from the field to field telling one another of the coming of theship.

他听到他们呼唤着自己的名字，在田野奔走相告航船到达的消息。

And he said to himself:

他问自己：

Shall the day of parting be the day ofgathering?

莫非分别的一刻也是相聚的时分？

And shall it be said that my eve was intruth my dawn?

难道我的夜晚实际是我的黎明？

And what shall I give unto him who has lefthis plough in midfurrow, or to him who has stopped the wheel of his winepress?

我能为那些放下耕田犁体、停下酿酒转轮的人们奉献什么？

Shall my heart become a tree heavy-ladenwith fruit that I may gather and give unto them?

是以心灵为树，采摘累累果实与他们分享？

And shall my desires flow like a fountainthat I may fill their cups?

还是将渴望化作涌泉，倾满他们的杯盏？

Am I a harp that the hand of the mighty maytouch me, or a flute that his breath may pass through me?

是作一架强者之手可以弹拨的竖琴，还是一管他们呼吸可以穿过我身躯的长笛？

A seeker of silences am I, and whattreasure have I found in silences that I may dispense with confidence?

我是个寻求寂寞的人，我在寂寞中究竟觅得了什么宝藏，使我得以自信地施与？

If this is my day of harvest, in whatfields have I sowed the seed, and in what unrembered seasons?

如果今天是收获的日子，那么我是在哪个被遗忘的季节和哪片土地上播撒的种子？

If this indeed be the our in which I liftup my lantern, it is not my flame that shall burn therein.

如果此刻的确是我举起明灯的时候，那灯中燃烧的并不是我点燃的焰火。

Empty and dark shall I raise my lantern,

我举起的灯空虚而晦暗，

And the guardian of the night shall fill itwith oil and he shall light it also.

夜的守护者将为它添上油，点起火。

These things he said in words. But much inhis heart remained unsaid. For he himself could not speak his deeper secret.

他用语言倾诉了这些，但还有许多未说出的话藏在心间。因为他自己也无法表达自己更深的秘密。

And when he entered into the city all thepeople came to meet him, and they were crying out to him as with one voice.

他回到城中，人们纷纷迎上来。他们异口同声地呼唤着他。

And the elders of the city stood forth andsaid:

城中的老者趋前说道：

Go not yet away from us.

请不要就这样离开我们。

A noontide have you been in our twilight,and your youth has given us dreams to dream.

你一直是我们黄昏中的正午，你的青春引导我们的梦幻进入梦幻。

No stranger are you among us, nor a guest,but our son and our dearly beloved. Suffer not yet our eyes to hunger for yourface.

你并不是我们中间的陌生者，也不是过客，你是我们的儿子，我们诚挚爱戴的人。不要让我们的眼睛因渴望见到你的面容而酸楚。

And the priests and the priestesses saidunto him:

男女祭司对他说道：

Let not the waves of the sea separate usnow, and the years you have spent in our midst become a memory.

请不要现在就让海浪将我们分开，让你在我们中间度过的岁月成为回忆。

You have walked among us a spirit, and yourshadow has been a light upon our faces.

你似精魂在我们之中行走，你的身影是映在我们脸上的光辉。

Much have we loved you. But speechless wasour love, and with veils has it been veiled. Yet now it cries aloud unto you,and would stand revealed before you.

我们一直如此热爱着你。但我们的爱曾悄然无语，被面纱遮掩。如今她大声呼唤你，坦然无饰地面对你。

And ever has it been that love knows notits own depth until the hour of separation.

爱直到分别的时刻，才知道自己的深度。

And others came also and entreated him.

其他人也走上前挽留他。

But he answered them not. He only bent hishead; and those who stood near saw his tears falling upon his breast.

但他没有作答。他低首不语，身边的人看到眼泪坠落到他的胸前。

And he and the people proceeded towards thegreat square before the temple. And there came out of the sanctuary a womanwhose name was Almitra. And she was a seeress.

他与大家一起走向圣殿前的广场。一位名叫艾尔梅特拉的女子迎出圣殿。她是一位女预言家。

And he looked upon her with exceedingtenderness, for it was she who had first sought and believed in him when he hadbeen but a day in their city.

他用无比温柔的目光看着她，因为正是她在他到达这座城市的第一天就追随他，笃信他。

And she hailed him, saying: Prophet of God,in quest for the uttermost, long have you searched the distances for your ship.

她向他致贺，说道：上帝的先知，为了寻求终极，你很久以来一直计算着你的航船的行程，

And now your ship has come, and you mustneeds go.

如今船只已到，你必须离去了。

Deep is your longing for the land of yourmemories and the dwelling place of your greater desires; and our love would notbind you nor our needs hold you.

你是如此深切地向往着你记忆的土地和你更大希冀之所；我们的爱不会羁绊你，我们的需要也不能滞留你。

Yet this we ask ere you leave us, that youspeak to us and give us of your truth. And we will give it unto our children,and they unto their children, and it shall not perish.

不过，请你在离去之前对我们谈谈，为我们言说真理。我们将把它传给我们的子孙，他们再传给他们的后代，使它永不湮灭。

In your aloneness you have watched with ourdays, and in your wakefulness you have listened to the weeping and the laughterof our sleep.

你在孤独中审视过我们的白昼，在清醒中倾听过我们梦中的哭泣与欢笑。

Now therefore disclose us to ourselves, andtell us all that has been shown you of that which is between birth and death.

因此现在请向我们披露我们自己，告诉我们你所知道的生与死之间的一切。

And he answered,

他回答道：

People of Orphalese, of what can I speaksave of that which is even now moving your souls?